Taking inspiration from Pokémon – one of the biggest game franchises of all time – the monster tamer genre has spawned countless gems. But while these games can be awesome, I’ve always found many of them feel more or less the same, almost as if their developers have been too afraid to experiment. However, recent release Cassette Beasts may change all that. This innovative title brings new features that could revolutionise the genre as a whole. Here’s my list of what I think all future monster tamers could learn from Cassette Beasts.
Combat
Let’s start with the obvious: the combat. The Pokémon typing system has been more or less in play in every monster tamer to date. It works by giving a unique type to each creature (eg. grass, water etc.) which can then give them boosted or weakened attacks when fighting certain enemy types (eg. grass beating water, water beating fire, etc.). While Cassette Beasts also takes this system on board, it makes a few well overdue changes.
Using an advantageous attack in Cassette Beasts doesn’t give you bonus damage, as one might expect. Rather, it applies debuffs to your enemy (such as reduced accuracy or defense). Similarly, using a “not very effective” attack against an opponent doesn’t do less damage, but actually makes them stronger for a few turns.
Where in many monster tamers you can rely on type advantages to take out entire teams, in Cassette Beasts’ battles need a lot more strategy. Players need to properly think about every fight and the moves they use each turn. Add to this the fact that creatures in this game can change types on the fly, and you’ve got a very dynamic and engaging battle system on your hands.
The lesson to be learned here isn’t that you should just throw out the normal rules for monster tamer battles. Rather, it’s that one shouldn’t feel compelled to redo what’s been done dozens of times before. Fans of the genre are crying out for some gameplay diversity. So if you’re a dev with some cool new ideas on how to revolutionise an old formula, go for it – fans might be more receptive than you’d think!
Creature Designs
One element of Cassette Beasts that everyone can appreciate is the distinct look of its monsters. While certainly their designs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, you can’t say they don’t stand out. It’s plain to see this game’s developers really let their creativity run free and took inspiration from a lot of different sources.
If I had to describe Cassette Beasts‘ monsters in one word, it would be “abstract”. A lot of its creatures don’t even look like living things – more like objects, or ideas. It seems like the designers were allowed to let their imaginations run wild – and I love it. And what’s even better, is that they’ve made the unique look of these monsters fit perfectly with the game’s narrative.
Behold, the flat screen TV feline – Cat-5
Cassette Beasts is a monster tamer that’s all about mystery. None of its characters know anything about how they ended up on New Wirral, or the strange nature of the island itself. As such, the bizarre nature of the monsters perfectly lines up. After all, in a world where everything is out of place, is there really such a thing as “normal”?
What Cassette Beasts’s devs did with their creatures is simple – they tried something different. Again, not everyone is going to love their designs, but nobody can say that they aren’t memorable. The clear lesson here is just how important it is to make the creatures in your monster tamer games stand out. Because if they do, then odds are your game will too.
Giving Players Freedom
Another notable aspect of Cassette Beasts is the freedom it gives its players. Many monster tamers, once again following Pokémon, are incredibly linear. Players are often confined to a world map made up of narrow routes and pathways that stifle the wonder of exploration. As result, these games come across as cramped and can make gamers feel trapped.
In Cassette Beasts however, the world is your oyster. Players are free to go wherever they want as soon as they arrive on New Wirral. Of course there’s still a bunch of locations that are inaccessible until the late game. But just knowing that there’s a vast open world for you to explore makes a huge difference. It really makes the game feel much more like an adventure – which is exactly titles in the genre should feel like.
A spooky abandoned mall… what could be inside?
The lesson here? If you’re making an exciting new world filled with magical creatures, don’t make it difficult for the player to check it out! And that’s not saying games need to be open world. Having just a few spacious environments players can walk around will do the trick too. The more you give players the chance to explore, the more fun they’re going to have. Simple as that!
Tone
Perhaps the most important thing to note about Cassette Beasts however is its overall tone. For many years the monster tamer genre has been very kid-friendly. Its games have typically had low stakes, colourful environments, and themes of adventure and companionship. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with this – we all need a positive pick-me-up every now and then. But Cassette Beasts brings a somewhat darker tone to a monster taming game – and it’s been well overdue.
Much like promising title Kindred Fates, Cassette Beasts isn’t afraid to make things a little more serious. Danger and the risk of dying are prevalent throughout the game, with one character literally getting killed in front of you. There’s also the constant reminder that its character are trapped on the island they find themselves on – a hostile environment filled with monsters. Yeah, the game does have colourful graphics and some upbeat elements. But its overall much darker tone is unlike anything we’d typically see in the genre.
One of the game’s boss fights… and complete nightmare fuel
The change in ambience might not sound like a big deal on paper. However, it’s features like these – ones that are hardly seen in within a genre – that really make a game stand out. If developers want to really grab player’s attention, then they’ve got to go with something different. I’m not saying that if you’re making a monster tamer then it needs to have some serious elements. But I believe that steering clear of the kid-friendly nature we’ve seen in many monster tamers could go a long way in making your title a big hit.
Conclusion
Those are my points for what I think that all future monster tamers could learn from Cassette Beasts. I’m a big fan of this genre, and seeing a title like this get released gives me big hopes for its future. There’s no doubt that game devs are some of the most creative people on this earth. They tackle projects needing so much thought and idea generation that it’s a wonder they ever get finished at all. But every now and then I think you need someone to come along and reinvent the wheel a bit – and I think Cassette Beasts may have done just that.
